Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. Sells 373 Shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc. $GWW

Key Points

• Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. sold 373 shares of W.W. Grainger, Inc., reducing its stake by 15.8% in the second quarter.
• W.W. Grainger's recent quarterly earnings showed a net margin of 10.99%, with earnings per share of $9.97, missing estimates slightly.
• Analysts have reduced their target prices for W.W. Grainger, with the average target now at $1,069.13 and a consensus rating of "Hold."

Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. lessened its holdings in W.W. Grainger, Inc. (NYSE:GWW - Free Report) by 15.8% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,994 shares of the industrial products company's stock after selling 373 shares during the quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc.'s holdings in W.W. Grainger were worth $2,074,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Northside Capital Management LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $745,000. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its holdings in W.W. Grainger by 14.7% in the 2nd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 1,864 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $1,939,000 after buying an additional 239 shares during the last quarter. Accurate Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in W.W. Grainger in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $2,322,000. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 12.7% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 790 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $822,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Finally, Scharf Investments LLC increased its position in W.W. Grainger by 8.8% during the 2nd quarter. Scharf Investments LLC now owns 2,285 shares of the industrial products company's stock valued at $2,377,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.70% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at W.W. Grainger

In related news, SVP Jonny M. Leroy sold 500 shares of W.W. Grainger stock in a transaction on Tuesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $992.86, for a total value of $496,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 1,771 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,758,355.06. This trade represents a 22.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 6.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

W.W. Grainger Stock Performance

NYSE:GWW opened at $954.74 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average of $999.46 and a 200-day moving average of $1,018.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 1.64, a current ratio of 2.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.57. W.W. Grainger, Inc. has a twelve month low of $893.99 and a twelve month high of $1,227.66.

W.W. Grainger (NYSE:GWW - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, August 1st. The industrial products company reported $9.97 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $10.07 by ($0.10). The company had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.52 billion. W.W. Grainger had a net margin of 10.99% and a return on equity of 49.63%. The business's revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $9.76 EPS. W.W. Grainger has set its FY 2025 guidance at 38.500-40.250 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that W.W. Grainger, Inc. will post 40.3 EPS for the current year.

W.W. Grainger Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 11th were paid a $2.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 11th. This represents a $9.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.9%. W.W. Grainger's payout ratio is currently 22.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on GWW. Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,176.00 to $1,007.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,125.00 to $1,035.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, September 4th. Loop Capital decreased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, August 4th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of W.W. Grainger from $1,215.00 to $1,160.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $1,069.13.

W.W. Grainger Company Profile

W.W. Grainger, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes maintenance, repair, and operating products and services primarily in North America, Japan, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, High-Touch Solutions N.A. and Endless Assortment. The company provides safety, security, material handling and storage equipment, pumps and plumbing equipment, cleaning and maintenance, and metalworking and hand tools.

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